Manufactures.

The principal manufacture of this county has, from an early period,
been that of woollen cloth. I do not find any mention of fulling-mills in
Devonshire in the Domesday survey; but from the mention of them in
records of the reign of Edward I. it is evident that cloth was then made
at Exeter and Chudleigh. It appears, nevertheless, from the Hundred
Rolls, that the Dartmoor wool was at that time exported.

King Edward III. forbade the exportation of wool, and gave great encouragement to weavers and cloth-makers from foreign parts (fn. n1), who in his
reign came to London, and afterwards settled in other parts of the kingdom. John Kempe, a foreigner, is said to have established the clothing
trade at Taunton in this reign, but we have no evidence that any of them
settled in Devonshire.

It appears that cloths called Raies, or dozens of the colour of ray, were
made in the west in the reign of Henry IV., but the counties are not
specified in the statute of 1409. In the beginning of Edward the Fourth's
reign (1463) the inhabitants of the hundreds of Lifton, Roborough, and
Tavistock, petitioned parliament to be exempted from the operation of an
act which prohibited the using of flocks in the manufacture of woollen
cloths; stating that they had been acccustomed to use such mixtures from
time immemorial, and that the cloth made by them could not be otherwise
manufactured on account of "the stobernesse of the wool," it being
made solely of wool grown in those three hundreds; and they state, that
if the act should be enforced, they should be impoverished, and utterly
destroyed. An exemption was in consequence allowed them, and it is
recognised in all subsequent acts. In a statute of 1511, these cloths are
exempted by the name of Tostocks: in a statute of 1534, they are called
Tavestocks, or western dozens.

It appears that there was another species of coarse cloth, nearly similar,
called "white plain streits, or streights," and "white pinn'd streights,"
to which the same exemption was allowed. They are spoken of in the
statutes of 1513, 1553, and 1585. It the statute of 1553, they are described to be of the nature of Tavestock cloths. It appears that they were
made of the refuse of coarse wools, flocks, lambs' wools, and hairy wools;
that they were exported by the Devonshire merchants to Brittany, and
bartered for dowlas, lockeram, and canvass. The statutes above mentioned
prescribe their measure and weight.

Westcote, writing in the early part of the seventeenth century, says,
that before the reign of Edward IV. only frizes and plain coarse cloths
were made in Devonshire; and that one Anthony Bonvise, an Italian, in
that reign, is said to have taught the art of making carsies (kerseys), and
the women to spin with the distaff. "For the karsies," says he, "at
first, they only used Devon wool, which is more than any stranger travelling
the county would suppose, since, except in Dartmoor, Exmoor, and such
open grounds, the sheep are hidden by the high-grown hedges of the enclosures. Now they work Cornish and Dorset wools, and from other parts
of the kingdom, and from London sent weekly, (though, by the new
measure, 150 miles distant,) Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Wales, and Ireland, all which is here wrought into cloths or stuffs,
wherein most towns have appropriated to themselves a several or peculiar
kind.

"The late made stuff of serges or perpetuanoes is now in great use and
request with us, wherewith the market of Exeter is abundantly furnished
of all sorts and prizes, fine, coarse, broad, narrow, so that the number
will scarcely be credited. Tyverton hath also such store of karsies as
(the neighbourhood of other markets consider'd) will not be believed.
Crediton yields many of the fynest sort of karsies, for which, and for fine
spinning, it hath the pre-eminence. (fn. n2) Totness, and some other places near
it, hath besides this a sort of coarse cloth which they call Pynn whites,
not elsewhere made. Barnstaple and Torrington furnish us bayes, single
and double, and fryzadoes, and such like; and Pilton adjoining, vents
cottons (fn. n3) and lyninge, so coarse a stuffe as there was a vœ (a woe) pronounced against them in these words: — 'Woe unto you, ye Piltonians,
that make cloth without wool.'

"At Tavystock there is also a good market for cloth, and for other commodities of the like nature, without any great difference. Ottery St. Mary,
and dyvers other places, hath mixed color'd karsies, Culmton, karsie stockings. This might be enlarged with other pretty commodities belonging to
other towns, besydes the generality of knytting stockings and spinninge of
worsted thread for women's workinge in every towne." (fn. n4)

It appears, that the Devonshire kersies had acquired celebrity, and were
an important article of commerce to the Levant in the early part of the
sixteenth century. Fine kersies, of divers colours, coarse kersies, and white
western dozens, were sent in English ships to Chio, and other ports in the
Levant, from the year 1511 to 1534, by Sir John Gresham, Sir William
Bowyer, and other London merchants, as we have it on the authority of
Hakluyt. (fn. n5) Each ship that sailed to those ports took from 6000 to 8000
kersies. (fn. n6) They were bartered to considerable advantage for commodities
of the country, which bore a good price in England. Gaspar Campion, an
English merchant residing in Chio, writing in 1569, when the trade had
been some time in the hands of the Venetians, strongly recommends the
revival of a direct trade with this country. (fn. n7) A statute of the year 1552,
regulates the weight and measure of the Devonshire kersies. By an order
of council, in the year 1587, it appears they were prized at from 18s. to 3l. (fn. n8)

The statute of 1593 speaks of the Devonshire kersies as having been
formerly in great request, and of great prize and estimation, both at home
and in foreign nations and countries; but then grown into discredit in consequence of the frauds of the manufacturers, which it was the object of
that statute to reform by the enactment of heavy penalties. In consequence of complaints from the States of Holland, it appears, that a royal
proclamation had already been issued, which that statute was intended
more strictly to enforce.

Westcote, speaking of the progress of the woollen manufactures, observes, "The gentleman, farmer, or husbandman, sends his wool to the
market, which is bought either by the comber or spinster; and they the
next week bring it again in yarn, which the weavers buy, and the market
following bringe it thither again in cloth, when it is sold either to the
clothier, (who sends it to London,) or to the marchant, who (after it hath
passed the fuller's mill, and sometimes the dyer's vat) transports it. The
large quantity whereof cannot be well judged at, but is best known to the
custom book, whereunto it yieldeth no small commodity, and this is continued all the year through."

The market for wool and cloths, which had long been at Crediton, was
removed to Exeter in 1538. The great increase of the woollen manufacture, spoken of by Westcote, in the early part of the seventeenth century,
was occasioned by the revival or extension of the sale of English cloths in
Italy, Turkey, and the Levant. Moryson, who was in Turkey in 1596,
speaks of kersies and tin as our chief articles of commerce with Turkey. (fn. n9)
The trade experienced a still further increase towards the latter part of
the seventeenth century, and was then at its greatest height.

Brice, who published his "Topographical Dictionary" in 1759, speaks
of the clothing trade as then somewhat declined; but says, that the
ordinary weekly sale at Exeter on a Friday was 10,000l. worth; and that
Exeter was esteemed the greatest wool market in England, next to Leeds.
I have been assured, that about the year 1768 the exports of woollen
cloths were above a million in value annually. The trade suffered considerably during the American war, but after the peace in some measure
recovered itself; and the extension of exportation to the East Indies, which
took place soon afterwards, caused it to equal its former amount. In 1789,
the East India trade being then increasing, 121,000 pieces were bought by
the Company. These were of the sort of serges (fn. n10) called Sandfords, except
600 pieces of broads, made at Crediton: the other serges were made
mostly at Ashburton, Tavistock, Modbury, North Tawton, and Newton
Bushell. From 1795 to 1805, the Company purchased from 250,000 to
300,000 pieces annually. After this, their purchases began to decline to
about 200,000 pieces. After the renewal of the charter, in 1813, their
demand declined still farther; and their present purchases do not exceed
150,000 pieces annually.

During the last war, the woollen trade sustained a most serious injury in
its foreign consumption, from which it has only partially recovered. Notwithstanding the reduced scale of their purchases, more than two-thirds
of the woollen cloths now made in the county are for the East India
Company.

The principal manufacturing towns are now Exeter, Crediton, Collumpton, Ashburton, and South Molton. At Tiverton, which was one of the
earliest and the principal seat of the clothing manufacture, and at which
town, so lately as the year 1790, it is said, that there were 1000 looms at
work, there is now scarcely any woollen trade. At Newton Bushell, Chudleigh, Bampton, Oakhampton, Hatherleigh, Bideford, Sampford Peverell,
Torrington, Moreton Hampstead, Culmstock, Uffculme, and Ottery, they
have ceased to manufacture. At Bideford, about 150 serges are made
yearly. At Honiton, there is only one serge-maker.

The Crediton manufactures, which were upon a most extensive scale,
declined after the great fire of 1743: before that period, 1400 or 1500
pieces of serge were made there weekly. They now make from 800 to
1000 pieces.

Before the late war, Exeter, and the towns of Crediton, Collumpton, and
South Molton, with the populous villages of North Tawton and Bishop's
Morchard, were principally employed in manufacturing coarse woollens for
Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Germany. The long continuance of war, from
time to time, lessened the demand for these foreign markets, which for a
while wholly ceased, and these places only shared with others the orders of
the East India Company, for long ells, &c. Since the return of peace,
they have supplied the diminished demands of the above-mentioned foreign
markets. The diminished manufactures of Exeter are chiefly of plushes
and estameans (fn. n11), for the Spanish market.

The town of Collumpton, before the commencement of the war,
manufactured Dutch serges, plain and twilled druggets, sagatties, duroys,
and estameans, which were shipped at Topsham, by the merchants
of Exeter, for Holland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. At
present, some cloths, kerseymeres, and estameans, with flannel and baize
of various qualities and descriptions, are made for the markets of Spain
and Portugal, as well as home consumption; and occasionally long ells and
other woollen goods, for the East India Company. Although the trade is
now diverted into a different channel, I am informed, that the quantity of
wool manufactured, the value of the goods, and the number of the labourers
employed, exceed that of any former period. The chief trade of Ashburton and South Molton consists in the manufacture of woollen goods for
the East India Company.

The secondary manufacturing towns of the present day, are Totnes,
Tavistock, Kingsbridge, Modbury, Brent, Chagford, and Barnstaple; to
which may be added the villages of Buckfastleigh, Bishop's Morchard, and
North Tawton.

The woollen trade of Tavistock, Totnes, Kingsbridge, Modbury, Brent,
Chagford, and Buckfastleigh, consists chiefly of long ells for the East
India Company. The largest factory of this article is that of Mr. Berry,
of Chagford. At the height of the clothing trade, in the reign of Charles II.,
there was a wool market established at Totnes, and another at Ashburton.
The trade of Modbury and Kingsbridge is much declined: some years ago,
about 300 pieces of serge were made weekly at Modbury, and about 400
(but not at the same time) at Kingsbridge, for the trade of the two towns
has fluctuated. About 100 pieces only are now made weekly at Kingsbridge, and about double that quantity at Modbury. Flustrings, armycloths, and blanketings, are made also at Kingsbridge: the former are
chiefly for home consumption and for Newfoundland.

At Barnstaple, the baize-making, for which it was celebrated in Westcote's time, and which continued so considerable till nearly the end of the
last century, that, before the American war, there were 20 baize-makers in
the town, is now so reduced, that there is only one, who exports his goods
to America, Newfoundland, Spain, and Portugal. Coarse serges also are
made at Barnstaple for the American trade.

The general state of the woollen trade, as compared with that of its
greatest prosperity, may be judged from the entries at the custom-house
at Exeter, from which city the great bulk of woollen goods manufactured
in the county is exported. I am informed, that, even from Kingsbridge, a great part of the manufactured goods is sent by waggons to
Exeter, and shipped from that port. The years 1768 and 1787 are
considered to have been the periods of the height of the prosperity of
the woollen trade. In 1768, 330,414 pieces of cloth were exported from
Exeter; in 1787, 295,311 pieces; in the year 1820, the number was
127,459. (fn. n12)

The chief trade now for woollens is that of the East India Company,
although, as before mentioned, on a reduced scale; and a partial recovery of
the foreign markets, particularly those of Spain and Portugal. The high price
of English wool, and the fluctuating state of the market since the peace,
have operated to prevent a more extensive revival of the foreign trade;
but some of the most intelligent manufacturers express a hope, that, with
the continuance of peace, the foreign markets may be revived to a greater
extent, either for the old articles, or others suited to the altered taste and
habits of the consumers. Besides the trade of the East India Company,
long ells are purchased for the private trade of India, and have been introduced into China by American and other foreign vessels.

At some of the towns in which the clothing trade has been discontinued,
the manufacturing labourers are employed in preparing materials for the
manufactures of other towns. The poor of Culmstock and Uffculme
are employed in a factory lately erected at Culmstock for preparing
materials for the long ells manufactured at Wellington. Those of Moreton Hampstead are employed in the manufacture of long ells at Chagford.
At Ottery, where a few woollen goods are still woven, is a large factory
for spinning the yarn used for manufacturing serges, which yarn is sent to
the Exeter market.

In Westcote's time, fine flax thread was spun at Axminster; and he
observes, that Comb Martin supplied the whole county with shoemakers'
thread, made from hemp there grown. Both these have been discontinued;
but there is a considerable manufactory of linen thread at Tukenhayes, in
Ashprington. The celebrated carpet-manufacture at Axminster is still
flourishing: it was established in the year 1755. (fn. n13)

The manufacture of bone or thread lace at Honiton, made with fine
thread imported from Antwerp (fn. n14), was introduced probably in the reign of
Queen Elizabeth. Westcote does not speak of it as a new thing. "Here,"
says he, speaking of Honiton, "is made abundance of bone-lace, a pretty
toye, now greatly in request." He speaks of it as made also at Bradninch. A small quantity is still made there: the manufacture at Honiton,
which not many years ago was very flourishing, is now much on the
decline. A large manufactory of Nottinghamshire lace was established at
Tiverton in 1815, as a means of providing for the numerous labourers whose
employment had ceased on the removal of the clothing manufacture.
The lace manufacture is still flourishing. A lace manufacture at Raleigh,
in the parish of Pilton, near Barnstaple, is about to be immediately established on an extensive scale, and numerous cottages are now building
near the spot for the manufacturers. A manufacture of gloves, upon an
extensive scale, has found employment for the labouring classes of Torrington since the removal of the woollen manufactures. At Fordton, near
Crediton, the extensive buildings formerly occupied by the woollen manufacture of Messrs. Davy, dowlas, and other coarse linens, are now made.

At Bradninch are three paper-mills: those of Mr. John Dewdney, at
Heale Paine, in this parish, which were destroyed by fire in the summer
of 1821, are now rebuilding, on an extensive scale, for the manufacture
of all kinds of writing paper.

A manufacture of porcelain was carried on for a short time at Plymouth,
by Mr. William Cookworthy, who settled there in 1733, and first discovered the materials requisite for its composition: it was at first unsuccessful, and after a little while was removed to Bristol, and afterwards to
Worcester, where, in consequence of various subsequent improvements
and discoveries, it attained great celebrity, and still flourishes.

A manufacture of an inferior sort of white ware, for common purposes,
was established at Indio, in Bovey Tracey, in 1772: of late years blue and
white ware has been made here; and within these ten years another
manufactory has been established on Bovey Heathfield, adjoining to the
pits, the coal from which is used for the works. There are potteries of
brown ware at Bideford and Barnstaple. At Tavistock is an iron-foundery
and an edge-tool manufactory. At Plymouth are manufactories of sailcloth, soap, and Roman cement. Great quantities of shoes, made at
Ashburton, Kingsbridge, and Dartmouth, are sent to Newfoundland.

The whetstones, already spoken of, are manufactured by being cut
into the proper shape on the spot, whilst the soft stone of which they
are made is wet.

Footnotes

n2. In another place, he says that it became a proverb as fine as Kerton (Crediton) spinning.
"It is very true," he adds, "that 140 threads of woollen yarne, spun in that town, were drawn
through the eye of a taylor's needle, which needle and threads were for many years together
to be seen in Watling Street, in the shop of one Mr. Dunscombe, at the sign of the Golden
Bottle."

n3. This was a species of the coarsest woollen cloth, similar to what was made in Wales, and,
so early as the year 1575, called Welsh cottons. See Rees's Cyclopædia, article Cotton.

n10. The difference between kerseys and serges is, that the chain of the serge is made of
worsted, and that of the kersey of the same as the shute or warp, only more twisted. It is a
mistaken definition of the kersey given in "Rees's Cyclopædia," that kerseys are a kind of
coarse woollen cloth: they were made of various degrees of fineness, and some of them, according to Westcote's account, were remarkably fine. The serges are of various descriptions: the
sort now chiefly manufactured for the East India Company is called long ells.

n11. The article of this name is kersey wove, not quite so clothy as a kerseymere, nor so much
of a stuff as a shalloon: the pieces are 32 yards in length, and three quarters of a yard wide.

n12. This information has been obligingly communicated by the Collector of the Customs.